places.

Oh the places you'll go.

I called my mother early in the morning from the Vancouver airport while waiting to board a 50-person flight to Terrace, B.C.

Since starting dance at the rec centre at the tender age of 4, I've never been very good. Even as I moved up into a studio, competed again dancers across California, performed in more shows and productions than you can shake stick at - I never quite had the "it" factor that some of my peers did.

But I LOVED to dance.

I would literally count down the hours at school until I got to rush to the studio, pull my hair into a bun and high kick my way to high heavens.

I'm so lucky that my parents believed in me and made my dreams come true - it was never in the plan to become a professional dancer (especially after my knee injury at 18), but life has shaken out this way, right now at least.

Calling my mother to tell her I was being flown up to teach and share my dance knowledge with another community was a way bigger prize than any of the trophies I never got at competition. Hearing her react on the other side of the line - her sigh, her breath, her smile - that made all that hard work worth it.

As we are 10 days away from Mother's Day...thank you Mom (and Señor Favro!) for driving me to all those classes, competitions, workshops, helping me with costumes, and sitting in dark theatres on hot sunny days. 

You've made my dreams come true, that I'm now living out. 

This past year, I've been or am going to Los Angeles, New York City, Terrace, B.C., Kelowna, Penticton, and beyond for dance-related work or classes. 

Thank you for everything. 

deep.

"I think there is a certain age, for women, when you become fearless. 

It may be a different age for every woman, I don't know. 

It's not that you stop fearing things: I'm still afraid of heights for example. Or rather, of falling - heights aren't the problem. 

But you stop fearing life itself. 

It's when you become fearless in that way that you decide to live. 

Perhaps it's when you come to the realization that the point of life isn't to be rich, or secure, or even to be loved - to be any of the things that people usually think is the point. 

The point of life is to live as deeply as possible, to experience fully. 

And that can be done in many ways." 

- Theodora Goss 

portiavsnature.

Portia versus Nature. Day 9.

Today I drove home from the dance studio in a truck, flabbergasted at the sunset glowing behind the mountians that surrounded me (literally 180 degrees) while the radio played country music.

How am I?

Yes, that's the Portia you all know. She's still in there.

Today was the first one since I arrived in Northern B.C. that I put on eye makeup and really properly did my hair (I had a video call with a client - girl's gotta look professional) - but there's something very interesting about stepping away from the "mask" we wear in the city.

I've learned a lot of things since I've been up here.

I've always been comfortable spending time along and always make a point to have "me" time, especially when my jobs are so social and interaction-based.

There's a whole different kind of solo adventure that happened to me this time - one I imagine some must have when they're travelling to a country by themselves.

But this solo-adventure has been in a low-stress situation, sharing my knowledge and trying new things each day. Without the added work of a different language, or customs, I've really found a place to settle in my mind.

I'll never take good WiFi or cell phone service for granted again.

Don't underestimate how many resources you have available at your fingertips. For example, there isn't even a Starbucks in Terrace...there's one on every other street in Vancouver and Toronto. Whenever I'm now looking for a costume piece, etc. I'll remember this.

However, there is a level of simplicity here. Less options, less stress, less rushing.

I will give it to them, I've had more time to plan, look ahead to the coming months and strategize how and how I want to attack them. With much more teaching on the table, I definitely caught my breath in my throat the other night (was it nerves?)

Then it occured to me, just like it did a couple years ago when I had a lot of things going on - this is everything I've always wanted, right? These are opportunities, not hinderers.

Last Fall, I remember thinking and manifesting that I wanted to be teaching more dance and working with students of all ages. Be careful what you wish for I guess, that's now basically my full-time job!

Along with that, I'll beheading to both Portland and L.A. in the next six weeks for both work, professional development and pleasure. I can't wait, and am very honoured to have both of the opportunities. More on that to come.

For now - I'm surviving my time in the woods. I'll be back to Vancouver late next weekend. See you on the other side!

nature.

Well, hello from Northern B.C.!

I'm up in Terrace, B.C. for a teaching contract over the next couple weeks (never fear, I'm back in Vancouver mid-April and will be teaching and running all my scheduled classes as per normal).

Life is definitely simpler here. I'm thoroughly enjoying not setting an alarm, working with dancers who are hungry for knowledge, and having access to a car to explore this sweet little town.

However, the most essential thing happened - I turned on the radio to the first news story at 4PM being about a wolf warning. Apparently they have a wolf problem with the animals coming a little too close to humans while in town.

I had to pull over the truck and have a good giggle. Then I looked out and checked for wolves.

It's made me start to think - having been a city girl almost all my life (I found Kelowna very, very small when I first moved there...) I wonder about the pros and cons about where we grow up.

I've often thought being a small town might be a great place to have space to run free, explore, be in nature, blah blah blah.

However, I do see the incredible benefit of my parents moving us to semi-large towns with access to a metropolitan area. The amount of history, dance classes, lessons, art, sports, etc. that you just get from being in a more populated area is unparalleled.

Of course, to each their own - and I'm not planning to start a family anytime soon - but it's definitely starting a conversation with myself.

Here we go - Portia vs. Nature, Day 4. I'm still alive, and the cat and dog at the house I'm staying at love to cuddle with me more than the pets I grew up with. Maybe fewer people around them makes their hearts grow founder.

That's all. Have a wonderful weekend.